Blood only runs so deep
by ElizaKerina
Summary: A faked his death when he was ten years old. After his first son was born, he left him on the steps of Wammy's house. That son was Mihael Keehl. Mello never knew who his father was, but he knew he was always with him…somewhere.
1. Intro

Blood only runs so deep

**A faked his death when he was ten years old. After his first son was born, he left him on the steps of Wammy's house. That son was Mihael Keehl. Mello never knew who his father was, but he knew he was always with him…somewhere.**

**Tester chapter!  
**

* * *

The sun was shining through the misted autumn skies; the canvas of warm blue above their heads was almost hypnotizing. A lolled his head up towards the sunlight, letting the warmth wash over him. He'd never felt so at home…so at peace. So many memories seemed to flood his mind. Most of them were happy…and A just seemed to smile beneath the sun. He remembered all the good times he had with Beyond and Ryuzaki. It almost felt perfect.

Wammy's house hadn't changed, at least on the outside it hadn't. The old rusted Iron Gate still stood around the grand building. The walls were still painted a hideous kind of brick red and brown. It was just as how he remembered it. A knew what it was like to live in a place like this. He knew Mihael would be safe here…it was meant to be this way.

Within his arms, A held a rather small two month old baby, with light locks of golden hair and eyes a light frosty blue, similar to the ones of his father. He smiled down at him and brushed the side of his cheek with his finger. "Hey there." He whispered beneath his breath. "What'd you think, Mihael? It's pretty cool right? Better than living in a one room apartment with your old man at least." He smirked as Mihael stretched his tiny hand up towards the sky, making a strange gurgling kind of noise.

A took another look up at the building, taking a deep breath in. "I…I'm gonna' miss you kid…it's been fun." Mihael gave an absentminded giggle, reaching his hands up to touch his daddy's face. A let a smile grace his lips as he placed a gentle kiss against his son's forehead. "I love you kid. Don't forget about your old man."

Mihael watched in confusion as A placed him down upon the step of Wammy's Orphanage. A reached around his neck, and pulled his rusted silver-chained rosary from his head, tucking it safely into Mihael's baby blanket. And finally, the tiny baby watched in horror as the one person he'd ever known and trusted walked away from him forever.

A could hear him begin to cry as he walked further and further from him, and A had to dig his nails into his palms to stop himself from turning around. He didn't want this. He didn't want to leave his only son without a father…but deep down, in his heart, he knew it was for the best.

But Mihael had wondered why his father didn't turn around.

* * *

_**Years later**_

_**Kanto Region, Japan…**_

"_Mysterious deaths around the globe…"_

"…_Criminals have been dropping like flies…"_

"…_Wanted man found dead from a heart attack…"_

"…_Godlike being known as Kira…"_

Axel tossed his rain-tarnished newspaper onto the coffee table in front of him, letting a sigh of tedium pass his lips. He began to fiddle mindlessly with his pencil, chewing on the tip of the eraser end beyond use. "Well, it's obvious none of these deaths are of coincidence." He said as he slipped the pencil behind his left ear.

"You sound rather certain." Soichiro Yagami stated. "How can you be so sure?"

Axel glanced up at the lopsided wall clock that hung within the main office, wondering how long it'd take for Kira to kill one, two, or even three more victims. "All these deaths happened at around the same time, and they all had the same cause of death. What's even more suspicious is that they were all criminals."

"But the deaths were scattered around the world. It couldn't have been one person committing all of these murders." Soichiro said as he raised his cup of coffee to his lips.

"I'm not saying it was one individual person, I'm merely saying that whoever 'Kira' is can somehow kill without any physical contact. In other words, Kira can inflict heart attacks onto people…but it's only speculation at this point." Axel pulled the pencil from behind his ear and began chewing on the tip once more. "Whatever you're planning on doing, you'd better do it fast. I've seen a lot of evil in my time, but never have I seen anything quite like this. If it goes on for too long, Kira could become unstoppable."

"The ICPO are calling a meeting in two days time to discuss the matter." Soichiro explained to the younger detective. "As our leading detective, you're expected to make an appearance with Matsuda and myself."

Axel stood from his seat opposite Yagami, adjusting the collar upon his loose-fitting coat. "I'm afraid I won't be attending the meeting. I'm going on a personal trip the rest of this week."

"I don't mean to sound discourteous, but surely, Kira is of more importance right now." He protested civilly.

"I'm afraid, it's more of a personal matter. I truly am sorry." Axel bowed his head slightly in respect, and turned to walk out of the office. Soichiro watched as their brightest detective leave the main room.

"Hey, is Axel gone already?" Matsuda questioned, walking over towards Chief Yagami. "I meant to talk to him about the American murder case he solved last month."

"Well, Professor Keehl is a rather busy man." Yagami stated. "You'll have to catch him when he's off work."

Matsuda let a sigh escape his lips as he scratched the back of his head. "It must be tiring…I mean, I get that he has family down in England, but does he really have to go there once every two months? That must cost a lot of money."

"Well, you can't exactly put a price on family." Soichiro chuckled. "Come on, let's get going."

* * *

_**Winchester, London**_

"Hey! Mello! Teacher, Mello's being a bully!" Linda called from the playground just in front of Wammy's house building.

"Am not!" He retorted, kicking the football across the grassy pitch, 'accidently' hitting a smaller kid on the back of the head with it, sending him into fits of sobs, clutching the back of his throbbing skull. Everyone began to laugh at the little crybaby. "Ah! Sorry man."

"Teacher!" She yelled once more, folding her arms in annoyance.

"You guys are no fun." Mello chuckled, wiping the dirt off his black jeans. "Roger's got you all on brainwash." The kids laughed once more at Mello's side humor. People respected him in a weird sort of way. They found him rather entertaining, but at the same time, everyone seemed to be scared of him.

Axel stood behind the rusted gate that cut him off from Wammy's house. He noticed Mello still wore the silver rosary around his neck, even after all these years. It gave him some form of comfort to know he hadn't completely left him behind.

Watching Mello grow older throughout the years made Axel wonder if leaving him here had been the best decision…but knowing Mello was getting some of the highest grades in the orphanage made him feel a little better about it. At least Mello could have a better future.

"I've seen you here before." Axel blinked his eyes in surprise, and turned his head towards the voice. A young boy with white hair and dark eyes sat upon the grass on the other side of the gate, twirling a lock of his hair, as he looked the man up and down.

"You're very observant." Axel smirked, bowing his head slightly.

"You know the gate is open to family members. If you want to talk to Mello, you can go right ahead." Near informed.

"What makes you so certain I'm related to him?" Axel questioned.

"Your looks. Mello has both your hair and your eyes. Aside from that, I noticed you wear a similar rosary to the one Mello has." Near said rather casually.

"Well…I'm afraid it's not quite that simple." Axel informed.

"According to Mello's history file, his parents left him on the doorstep of this orphanage when he was a baby. The parents themselves are actually unknown." Near hummed, fiddling with a blade of grass beneath him.

"You sure know your facts." Axel complemented.

"I have to. It's part of being what I am." Near smiled up at Axel, who smiled back down to him. Suddenly, the grand clock upon the door of Wammy's house struck two, and in a bustle, the kids began to file back into the house. "That's my queue to go."

"I'm sure we'll meet again someday." Axel said.

"I'm sure we will."

**AN: Hi! So, this is a tester chapter. Basically, I've always pictured A to have a personality kind of like Mello, but more calm and serene. I really wanted to try this out, and I'll continue it if I get good feedback. I hope it was okay! Thanks for reading!**

**Feel free to leave a comment :D**


	2. Justice will prevail

**I was going to wait until tomorrow to post the next chapter, but I was just like "Why not now, right?" I had so much fun writing this, I don't know why. I'm still trying to get a grip around A's character, and somehow having him represent Mello in some way.**

**Head's up, this chapter is at least twice as long as the last one, and I apologies if it's not really that good (I kind of rushed it) Sorry if there are any mistakes or anything.**

* * *

"_Hey, Mihael." Axel sat upon the park bench, his breath turning to mist as he let a sigh pass his lips. Mihael shivered slightly, so Axel wrapped the blue blanket a little tighter around his tiny body. "You see that?" Mihael looked up to the great midnight blue canvas above his head, the stars sparkling so bright, it almost drew the attention away from the cold atmosphere. "They're beautiful aren't they?. The stars never change. They're always gonna' be there. No matter how messed up this rotten little world becomes, we'll always have the stars." Axel gave Mihael a light kiss upon his forehead, holding him close to his chest as he drifted off to sleep in his arms. "One day, we'll see the world at peace. One day."_

Mello woke with a start, his eyes blinking to life. The blurred vision of his father seemed to vanish right before his eyes, and all he was left with was a plain image of a cracked sealing above his metal-framed bed. Mello instinctively glanced towards the window, and sighed in relief to see his silver cross still sat by the empty glass of water upon his bedside table.

"You alright Mels?" Mello turned his head to see Matt sitting on the bed on the opposite side of the room, as usual, tapping away on his game console, his thumbs moving in an unbelievably fast pace.

"I'm fine." He snapped sharply, running a hand through his hair for a moment. "Just…had a bad dream, that's all."

"You wanna' talk about it?" Matt asked, not looking away from his screen in front of him.

"Not really." Mello stated honestly.

"Good." Matt chuckled, adjusting his sitting position.

"Go ta' sleep you idiot." Mello commanded, rolling his eyes at his long-term roommate.

"Five minutes." Matt said robotically, though they both knew there was no way that was happening. Mello ignored him, as he tried to get back to sleep. As he slowly drifted from consciousness, he had to ask himself, why did his dad leave him in this hell…why'd he even leave at all? The thoughts played through his mind over and over, until he finally let himself fall into the darkness of sleep.

* * *

_**Two days later…**_

_**ICPO HQ…**_

Chief Yagami sat by his usual desk within the grand meeting hall, along with Matsuda as the members of the ICPO continued to discuss the grand matter at hand. It was clear that there was an obvious divide over who believed Kira's actions to be right or wrong.

"In any case, these criminals were probably facing the death sentence sooner or later, why should we-"

"Criminals or not, murder is murder!"

"It's too early to consider these all homicides."

"Then how are all these people having heart attacks at the same time? That's not coincidence, it's murder!"

"You think it's possible to simultaneously kill all of these people with non contact violence, at the exact same time?"

"Geez, people are really worked up about this whole Kira thing, aren't they?" Matsuda muttered as Chief Yagami took notes with his yellow booklet and blunt pencil.

"Well, situations like these can't exactly be taken lightly." Soichiro stated, adjusting his headset for a moment. "These things take time."

Suddenly, a familiar voice from the far side of the room echoed through the grand hall, bringing the entire meeting to silence. "Gentlemen, please, settle down." The sound of footsteps making their way towards the center of the meeting hall was the only thing that could be heard. A tall young man with damp locks of golden hair and silver-blue eyes, darkened from restless nights, held an even tone as he paced towards the center of the hall.

"I thought Professor Keehl was off on family business for the rest of the week." Matsuda whispered.

"Obviously he had a little change of heart." Yagami thought out loud.

Axel Keehl stood before the members of the ICPO, his usual confidence seemingly overwhelming. "It's obvious to me that these murders were something far from coincidence. We're obviously dealing with some form of power that's stronger than anything we've ever seen before. Weather this is one individual killer, or simply a gang of murderers is still unclear, but nevertheless, Kira possesses a power that can somehow kill without physical contact."

"If that's the case, then how are we supposed to-"

Axel held his hand up to silence the man, "Let me finish." He let out a sigh and pulled his pencil from behind his ear, biting on the tip as he regained his concentration. "Whoever this person is obviously believes that what he or she is doing is right, maybe even justified, however, make no mistake. The crimes this person or persons have committed are unforgivable. Don't let it deceive you. Gentlemen, we are witnessing mass murder on an unbelievable scale. If we don't act now, it could lead to total anarchy."

"What do you think is the best plan of action, Professor?" Yagami called from across the room.

At this point, Axel's lips curled into something a little less than a smile. "I say, bring in Special Detective, L." At that moment, the room began to chatter and utter to one another, discussing the matter between parties. Axel had anticipated that, in the state they were currently in, if they had any hope of closing this case, L was the man for the job.

"Hey, Chief, who's this L guy they keep talking about?" Matsuda asked.

"Well, we don't know who L is exactly. In truth, we've never even seen his face. However, he's managed to solve every case he's ever taken on. He's been defined as the world's greatest detective. He hides in the shadows, but he's the best of the best." Yagami glanced down at Axel, who still stood within the center of the ICPO meeting room. "When Axel first tried out for his internship here, he stated clearly his reason for joining the Police was because L had inspired him to change the world. L is known for bringing justice to all, even when all odds are against him."

"You expect us to call on an investigator we don't even know how to contact!"

"And how do you know L's even going to accept our request? L only takes on cases he's personally interested in!"

"L is already on the move." A new voice from the far side of the hall sounded in a low, even tone. A man dressed in a large coat with a hat covering his face walked in from the left side door.

"Gentlemen, I'm sure you all remember Watari, from last year's American Murder investigation." A smirked a little as he went on. "I managed to gain contact with L through Watari, and likewise, L has already agreed to lead the Kira investigation. I trust you gentlemen will all be in equal cooperation with him. We've only got one shot at this. Let's make it worth while."

* * *

"What changed your mind?" Soichiro questioned, as he waited for Axel to finish pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Changed my mind about what?" He asked, biting the tip of his pencil as he began to stir the bitter substance with his plastic straw. "You'll have to be more specific, chief."

"You said you weren't going to the meeting, and yet you showed up anyway."

Axel shrugged, placing his pencil behind his left ear and picking his cup up off of the counter top. "I realized that the longer we wait around to take action, the more chance we have in getting more people killed. And in the end, the most important thing in the world…is Justice."

"That's a good moral to live by." Yagami chuckled beneath his breath.

"I learn from the best…"

* * *

_**Thirty hours earlier…**_

"You disappeared for so long, I was beginning to think you actually were dead." L said honestly. Axel and Lawliet both sat together beside the murky lake they used to play in when they were kids. The grass was still damp from the heavy showers of rain from the dreary night before. They both sat bare foot; L crouched in his usual position, whilst Axel inclined his back against the leaning oak tree that seemed to stoop over the water's edge. "Of course, I always knew, a man like you wouldn't just…quit breathing."

"…I'm glad you haven't completely forgotten about me then." Axel's lip turned up into a genuine smile. "It's been a while since I actually felt this calm." He admitted. "After I left, my life changed…a lot."

"…Why did you leave?" L asked with a hint of curiosity.

"…I suppose I wanted to be my own person. I saw myself as too weak to continue your legacy as L…I felt more comfortable just being Professor Axel Keehl."

"I can only imagine." L sighed, scratching the back of his head as he looked through the clear sky, not a single cloud in sight. "If you're still worried about Mello, you shouldn't be." L informed. "He's capable of taking care of himself. He made that blatantly clear the last time I visited the orphanage." Axel couldn't help but laugh at the thought. "He is a lot like you, you know. Intelligent, confident, stubborn…he'll make a fine detective one day."

"…That's good to hear." Axel took a deep breath in, wanting this day to go on for the rest of his life. "…Ryuzaki. I have a favor to ask of you."

"If it is in my power." L replied.

"Could you consider taking on the Kira investigation?" He asked, an expression of seriousness placed on his face. "I know that the only person who'll be able to take down such a being as Kira, is you. We need you to fight for justice, as you always have. As a detective, a citizen of Japan, and a friend to you, I ask of you to at least consider it."

"…On one condition." L stated flatly. "You must promise me you will work as my accomplice on the case, and after we've solved the puzzle, you come to work with me, not as L's successor, but as Special Detective A."

_And so, let the hunt for Kira begin..._

* * *

Mello sat beneath the shade of the wilting oak tree near the far side of the gate, a philosophy textbook rested within his lap. He'd studied all night long for the upcoming examinations, and last year he was only a couple points off from Near…but those two points…those points were what differentiated Mello from Near. It was a visible line between them…and right now, Mello was on the down side…but he didn't plan on staying there for too long.

"How's revision going?" Matt questioned, adjusting his tinted goggles, before he reached for his chipped console and pressed the un-pause button.

"Fine." Mello stated. "Shouldn't you be going over some stuff too?"

"Don't really see the point." Matt chuckled to himself. "It's obvious I've got no chance in being L anyway. To be honest, the only people who EVER had a shot at being L were A and BB from the LA BB murder case a few years back. And we all know how they both ended up."

Mello rolled his eyes at the gamer. "This is gonna' be different. L's previous successors were weak. A couldn't take the pressure and killed himself because of it. Pathetic if you ask me. And Beyond had it coming to him. I guess it's just a matter of how you play the game, and I intend to play it right. I will be the next L."

Matt glanced up at him, but only for a second, before his eyes turned back down. "Well, good luck."

* * *

**End of chapter two! Yay! That was fun! Sorry this chapter was a little longer than the last one. I hope this is going okay so far. Just a heads up, Beyond Birthday is going to be in this fic, but a little later on.**

**Kira investigation starts in chapter 3.**

**Tell me what you thought in the comments! (If you want, haha :3)**


	3. And so it begins

**Here's chapter three of Blood only runs so deep. You may find this chapter a little boring, but I tried my best.**

**Oh, and I don't know why, but I always pictured A as a compulsive pencil-chewer for his 'Wammy addiction'. Ha-ha, I don't know, I kind of like it.**

* * *

The office was packed with hundreds of police officers and detectives from Japan's greatest law departments. They all stood facing the large projected computer screen by the left side of the grand hall. Both Axel and Watari stood beside the running projector that displayed the capital letter 'L' in familiar old-English text.

L continued to lead the meeting through his filtered microphone. _"To increase our chances of success in our mission to catch Kira, I request full cooperation from the Japanese Police. You will be required to attend my certain meetings within the main building."_

"Why Japan in particular?" Matsuda questioned from the far side of the meeting room.

"Take your mind back to about a week prior to the ICPO meeting." Axel stated. "As L and I have already discussed, Kira began killing around this period. After Watari did a few lines of documenting, it was discovered that Kira's first heart attack victim was the Shinjuku killer, the man who took eight hostages from a nursery school."

"_Considering that this man was only a minor threat compared to the others that Kira has killed, it's easy enough for us to say that this was in fact his first victim. The news that was broadcasting the Shinjuku event was in fact only airing in Japan."_

"This can only mean that Kira is Japanese, and even if he's not, he has to be hiding within Japan. To be honest, I'm surprised the Police failed to pick this information up prior to this meeting." Axel seemed to speak with a slight tone of amusement, though it wasn't exactly evident.

"_Indeed." _L chuckled under his breath. _"I suppose it's rather easy to lose your senses in a case like this one."_

Axel hummed in agreement. "L has already decided on our first move to pursue Kira. It's already been taken care of. For the next twenty-four hours, no other actions shall be needed."

"_I shall talk to you all very soon. Until we meet again." _The sign upon the screen turned to static black and white. Watari closed the lid of the silver laptop and began to pack it away into his leather satchel.

"You're all free to go." Axel stated, chewing on the tip of his pencil as he helped Watari pack up his things. The room of police began to edge their way out of the narrow doorway, every so often bumping into each other, but nevertheless, they continued to move efficiently.

Matsuda walked along side Chief Yagami, as the two of them made it back to their usual office building. "Hey chief, how does Axel know L?"

"Hm? I'm not sure I understand what you mean." Soichiro stated as they continued to walk down the never-ending corridor.

"Well, L and Axel seem to work in perfect tandem. It's like they can read into each other's minds." Matsuda frowned, scratching the back of his neck with his left hand.

"Well, great minds think alike." Soichiro replied. "But I see what you mean. Although Axel and L claim to have never met in person with one another, they do seem to know each other quite well."

"Maybe Axel's like an inside man for L, kind of like Watari I suppose." Matsuda suggested.

"Yes…maybe."

* * *

"I presume that you've already sent off Taylor's speech." L questioned. Axel simply nodded, grumbling in annoyance as the tip of his pencil snapped against the yellow slide of paper. "You should really stop chewing pencils. It practically ruins your teeth."

"Says the man who eats more sweets a day than most people do in their entire life." Axel rolled his eyes and dropped his pencil into the bin beside him. "You do know if your hunch is incorrect, that this could potentially end your life." Axel sat beside L on the crooked sofa in the center of the hotel room. "Not that I don't trust your judgment, but… don't you think actions like these should be saved until we're clear on what Kira's abilities are?"

"You're not usually one to take precautions A. Perhaps you've gotten a little too soft." L smirked, taking a sip of his lukewarm tea. "If you're concerned about me, then you really shouldn't be. You know as well as I do that this is the most efficient way to get information out of Kira. You just need to have a little faith."

"Of course…" Axel stared over at the monitors that were laid out on the table, slipping his pencil back behind his ear.

"I'm not going to die, Keehl." L reassured. "I promise you, this is just the beginning."

"I believe you." He stated, though, refused to look him in the eye as he did so.

* * *

"_I am Lind L. Taylor, more commonly known as L, and I've been sent to bring Kira to justice, by any means necessary. I believe I have a pretty good idea of why you're doing this, but let me tell you something. What you're doing right now is evil. All your efforts to create a world free of crime will result in mass murder around the globe, and I will not rest until you are brought to righteousness." _There was a moment of silence, time seeming to stop within a heartbeat. The world remained still for what felt like eternity, as the seconds ticked on by.

Suddenly, Lind L. Taylor let out a gasp of pure agony, as he clawed at his chest, his heart pounding furiously, before it gave in, the victim collapsing upon the tabletop before him. L stared at the television screen in complete amazement, as he watched the men drag the dead body away from the camera's view. "A, switch the broadcast from Taylor to my title."

Axel began to reset the screen, and within a matter of seconds, the letter 'L' appeared upon the screen. And thus began L's first step towards victory.

* * *

"Yes, L certainly does live up to his reputation." Axel smirked, chewing on his pencil as he thought. He'd actually stolen a new pencil from the office, since he'd chewed the original so much it'd began to crack up down the end.

Axel, along with the rest of the Japanese Task Force, sat upon the largest table in the center of the aged coffee shop. "How'd you even manage to contact Watari in the first place?" Aizawa asked in genuine curiosity.

"Watari had been a friend of my father's." Axel stated simply, ruffling his blonde hair, still damp from his rushed shower earlier that morning. "It was easy enough for me to locate him. Believe it or not, I'm rather good at these kind of things." At that moment, the rusted door by the front of the café creaked open, and in walked Soichiro Yagami, along with two children, probably both in their teens.

"Hey, chief, glad you could make it!" Matsuda called over from his side of the table. Axel's eyes darted from Soichiro, to the daughter, to the son, and then back to Soichiro. His glances were so instant that you'd only be able to tell they'd happened if you'd been watching him directly.

"Sorry I'm late everyone." Soichiro lowered his head slightly as Aizawa adjusted his chair to make room for the chief and his guests. "I'm taking my kids out after this, you all don't mind if they stay, do you?"

"Of course not, take a seat!" Matsuda said, grabbing a couple of chairs from the neighboring table to make way for the newcomers.

At that moment, Axel stood from his seat, his sharp blue eyes seeming to never leave the sight of the Yagami children. He then bowed his head to them. "It's a pleasure to meet you both. Light and Sayu Yagami? I've heard a lot of great things from your father. I must say I'm rather impressed."

It was the eldest son who'd been the first to speak. Light Yagami, age seventeen. "Oh, well thanks, but really, it's an honor to finally meet the great Axel Keehl. I've seen you in the papers before. You've singlehandedly solved more cases than most people do in their lifetime." Light Yagami held his hand out for Axel to shake, which he took with only a hint of hesitation. "I might even go as far as to say you're as good as L himself."

Axel arched his eyebrow and then let a chuckle past his lips. "Your complements will do you no good in the long run, but really I'm flattered. Please, both of you take a seat."

The afternoon seemed to pass by with a breeze. Soichiro had noticed Light and Axel had a rather strange similarity. It was almost as though their thoughts collided. There had been some tension between the two, but now, things were beginning to loosen up.

"Still, I don't see how it's possible for someone to get into the police investigation unit at the age of fifteen!" Light exclaimed.

"Well, technically speaking it's not legal until you're over the working age rate, but the government made an acceptation." Axel smirked. "But it's nothing to be impressed about. Anyone who has a brain can do what I do, it's just a matter of how you use it."

"Ah, Professor Keehl is being too modest! The guy's practically a genius!" Ide exclaimed, giving the professor a pat on the back. They began to talk as colleagues do, about their families and life at home. They all felt happy, and things were as they should always be. Axel almost felt human for once.

But the moment of humanity was ruined by a single buzz of his cellphone.

Axel pulled his mobile from his left pocket, and flipped the screen open. Watari's untraceable phone had sent him a link via email. Axel opened the document, and a news article popped up.

_MENTAL ASYLUM RESIDENT, BB ESCAPES FROM LOCKDOWN_

* * *

**Okay, that's all I had time to write. I know it's not the most amazing chapter ever, but it was critical to the plot, I guess you could say.**

**And Beyond's probably going to be in the next chapter! (Yay!)**

**Leave a comment to tell me what you thought (if you want)! Thanks for reading!**


	4. Beyond Birthday

_**Okay, here's chapter four! It's a little weird with the time jumps and all that, but I hope it's not too bad. Well, enjoy! Tell me what you thought in the comments! I'm open to constructive criticism.**_

* * *

_**Several years ago…**_

"_What's your name?"_

_The raven-haired eight-year-old scratched the back of his thin neck, as he shifted his scrawny shoulders and stared down at the ground below. "They call me B."_

"_Pleased ta' meet ya' B. I'm A." Axel smirked, tapping the edge of his pencil against the bricks. The two of them sat upon the chipped cobblestone wall that ran across the playing field. It was fairly high, about three times their height, but Axel was rather used to it._

"_I already know what your real name is." Beyond stated. "There's no point in you trying to hide it from me."_

"_Huh, that's a rather bold statement." Axel laughed half-heartedly as he swung his legs off the side of the crooked wall. He didn't seem put-off by the new stranger, unlike most people who ever came into contact with him. "How can you tell?"_

"_I just can." He murmured, rubbing his bare feet against the face of the brick wall. "I was born with it. I can see people's real names and how long they'll live for."_

_Axel laughed in amusement, standing up and balancing on the wall top, as though it were a tightrope. "Yeah right." He slurred sarcastically._

"_I didn't expect you to believe me." Beyond sighed bitterly, "I'm surprised you're still here. Most people find me too disconcerting to be around."_

_Axel raised an eyebrow at the slightly younger boy. "How so?"_

"_They say my eyes look funny." Beyond shrugged. "They laugh at me a lot...because I'm different."_

_Axel lowered his head slightly; his light blonde locks of hair only just falling over his brow. He smiled at the sight of B's shining blood-red eyes, that seemed to glance at him for only a second, before turning back shamefully down at the grass patch by the wall's end. "Your eyes are cool."_

"…_They are?" B questioned._

_Axel nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yeah, they're like strawberry jam." Axel joked, a grin plastered across his lips. "Well cool if you ask me."_

"…_Thanks."_

_Axel turned his head up towards the bright midnight sky, with a smile that never seemed to fade from his lips. "The stars, they're beautiful aren't they?"_

"…_If you say so…"_

* * *

_**Two years later…**_

"_Would it make you feel better if I told you A's body was never found?" L and Beyond sat beside the mossy waters, shaded from the burning sun by the young wilting oak tree. Beyond watched as the leaves and branches danced along with the spinning currents of summer breeze. "A supposedly set himself on fire after self-torture in his private bathroom, which had evidence of his blood across the tiles and walls. Aside from that, it was assumed his body, along with any further evidence, was burnt in-"_

"_He's not dead." Beyond stated, turning his eyes down to look out over the still waters. L snapped from his train of thought, to stare Beyond dead in the eye. "You can cut all that free will bullshit because I know for a fact he's alive…he is. If he were going to die, I would have seen it coming…"_

_Young L stooped back against the rotting bark of the sturdy tree, his thumbnail between his teeth and his knees tucked to his chest. "It's not fair…is it?" L stated, closing his eyes for a moment, before rubbing them with the back of his hand._

_At first, Beyond let out an almost silent kind of whimper, that lead L to believe he were crying, but it didn't take long for him to realize, as the cries grew brassier and louder, that Beyond had gone into a fit of empty laughter. He couldn't stop himself from laughing. The screams of bitter humor continued to pour from his mouth, until he turned his ruby-red eyes up towards the morning sunlight, and a tear formed from the corner of his eye, trailing down his pale cheek. "…This is all your fault, L. You're the reason he's gone. You're the one who deserves to die. I'll never forgive you for what you did to him."_

_L's darkened eyes stared in almost tremor, as B rested his head within the streak of sun that poured in through the woven branches upon the trees. "…I should have known it'd be too much for him. I'm sorry. I wouldn't be surprised if you never spoke to me again."_

_Beyond did not reply._

* * *

_**Present day…**_

"Watari, have any pictures of B been released to the general public?" Axel susurrated urgently through the microphone as he began to tap at rapid speed upon the keys of his work computer, his pencil hanging between his teeth as his eyes scanned over the multiple images that popped up every half-a-second onto his screen.

"_No, only images from the scene at the asylum." _Watari informed.

"Make sure it stays that way. I don't want any pictures of Beyond's face broadcast anywhere. If the media is requesting images then send them a pencil sketch from the LA BB murder case." He began finishing off a few more side details on his laptop, before he shut down the main CCTV programing and ran his fingers through his hair. "I also need to speak with L as soon as possible. Tell the Police I'm taking a personal trip to England."

"_If you need a team set up, I can arrange for a few extra members of the Task Force to join you."_

"No, I'm going after Beyond alone. In fact, have Beyond's escape investigation personally handed over to me. Try to restrain information leaking out to the media." Axel momentarily glanced at his silver watch. It only just hid the letter 'A' inked in black over his wrist.

"_A, don't you think you're rushing into this? Perhaps you should speak with L before you make any decisions on what exactly it is you're going to do. Your main priority at this very moment should be the Kira investigation."_

"I'm sorry Watari, but this situation no longer concerns you."

"_A, please-" _Axel closed the lid of his laptop and dragged it into his satchel bag, slipping his pencil behind his ear and rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. He couldn't say his guilt had been erased, but he knew this would be the only way.

* * *

_**Kanto Region, Japanese Police department…**_

"_Judging by the way the times of deaths are scattered, Kira could very well be a student. Of course, it's only speculation at this point, but nevertheless, it's a rather strong possibility. All that we can be certain of is that Kira needs a face and a name to kill his victims. It appears that only criminals who had their names and faces broadcast over the media were killed, aside from the ones who had their names misspelt."_

"Wow, it looks like you've progressed quite a bit. You're pretty good at what you do L. It's really cool how much you've managed to get out of the media stunt in just a couple of days!" Matsuda complemented, a childish smile upon his face.

"Matsuda, don't interrupt." Soichiro scowled, forcing the young man to frown and sit back upon his seat.

"_Actually I owe it to Professor Keehl. Although it was I who had requested we look over all of Kira's victims to see if their names and faces had been made public, Inspector Axel had been the one to carry out the orders. He managed to list all of Kira's known victims and gather the information we needed, all within the space of an hour."_

"Speaking of which, where is Professor anyway?" Aizawa questioned. "I haven't seen him for three days running."

"_Professor Axel is in England, dealing with his own private investigation."_

"And how come I was not informed of this?" Chief Yagami questioned, standing from his desk, staring at the computer screen that displayed the familiar inked lettering. "As Professor Keehl's official employer, I am obligated to know of these things before they are taken into action."

"_Well, as L, I have already given him permission to do as he please. And, as leader of the Kira investigation, my authority, in this case, outranks yours. But please, don't worry I have a feeling it won't take him too long to be done with his work. He'll be back before you know it. In the mean time, can we please refocus onto the Kira investigation, instead of dallying upon other matters? Time is of the essence."_

Though, in truth, L was merely avoiding the subject. He had wondered why Axel had not met with him face to face before taking off to go after Beyond…but, at the end of the day, what difference did it make?

* * *

Axel sat on the left side of the small table, glancing out of the clear window of the misted coffee shop every now and again. He'd been spending way too much time in Winchester lately. He had considered simply moving back into town, but then again, it'd be too risky, especially with his son still studying at Wammy's house.

The night had fallen in many hours ago. The entire shop was empty, aside from a few men on business seated at the far side. Axel turned his head forward, a familiar kind of smile on his lips. "It's been too long." He stated to the young dark-haired man just across the table, his crimson-red eyes covered by the brim of his rain-drenched newsboy hat. His skin was pale and marked with bloody bruises, hidden by the black sleeves of his shirt. Aside from that, he wasn't too bad.

"You're so stubborn." Beyond uttered beneath his breath. "Why can't you just stay dead for once?"

"If you didn't want me to find you, you shouldn't have come to Winchester." Axel chuckled, pulling the brim of Beyond's cap up, so that he could look him in the eye. "I missed you, you know. I wish I could have been there for you."

"You're a complete coward Axel." Beyond seemed to sneer. "You shouldn't have come here."

"Oh?" Axel smiled childishly. "But you knew I would. You were waiting for me, weren't you?" Beyond refused to reply to such a snide comment, instead, settling for a hollow laugh that was only just audible. "It's not safe for you to stay in England for much longer."

"Why do you care anyways? You didn't care when Misora and L sent me into the asylum to rot. You don't care about me, all you care about is your own wellbeing." Beyond rubbed the side of his temple, feeling a migraine start to form in the pit of his scull. Everything felt so loud. Everything seemed to burn. "…You have no idea…what it's like…to sit in the same god-damned room for years, seeing nothing but the same four walls surround you like a prison. This is the longest conversation I've had in months…"

"I'm sorry…if I ever hurt you, I'm sorry. But I already lost you once, I'm not going to lose you again." Axel wore an expression that Beyond was sure he'd never seen before. It spoke nothing but seriousness. His usually warm and comforting blue eyes seemed to ice over into a cold and stern azure."…Let me save you, and I promise I'll never leave you again."

Beyond stared out of the window, up at the pitch-black sky, the stars sparkling like thousands of silver coins scattered through the air. "I remember the way you used to talk about the stars…how they were so lucky to have such great freedom…I suppose, it wouldn't be too bad to get a piece of freedom for myself."

* * *

**I feel like this chapter wasn't as good as it could have been. I hope this was okay. I know, my chapters are usually something like 2000 words each, and it's a little much, I know, but I think it's the only way I'm going to finish this story.**

**Thanks for reading! Leave a comment if you liked it! Thanks again! **


	5. The month of December

**Would have updated sooner but I've been cursed with the flu these last few days. So, here's chapter five! Hope it's okay. I'm actually having a lot of fun writing this, I don't know why.**

**Stay with me, this chapter's a little confusing because of everything I tried to fit into one chapter, but I added dates to some of the scene jumps to make it a little more understandable. I promise this is the only jumbled up chapter. I was trying to skip over the bits we already know, so I hope this is still okay.**

**Leave a comment to tell me what you thought? I promise next chapter will be better.**

_**Winchester, England, Wammy's house…**_

* * *

"Beyond Birthday escaped just over a week ago. Since then, the amount of police within England has doubled, though, if he's as smart as they say, I highly doubt B is still in the country." Near twirled the ends of his hair, his dark eyes focused on the blank puzzle before him. Only a few more pieces until it would be complete, but he was deliberately taking his time. "If Beyond somehow escaped the country, then it means he must have gotten into contact with someone who would be able to smuggle him out without detection…and someone who'd actually be willing to help a criminal." Near huffed and flipped the puzzle board over, letting the lose pieces fall around him, scattering across the floor. "But, something's not right. Beyond had no other contacts that could possibly help him out of the country. His only companions were the people who used to live at Wammy's house, specifically…A."

Near glanced down at the two pencil sketches that lay upon the floor of his bedroom, one of which was of none other than Beyond Birthday himself, and the other of A depicted as a child. The pencil sketch was drawn many years ago, before A's supposed death.

"…If B was able to escape from England without detection, he must have gotten help from somewhere…and the most likely person to want to help B escape would be A…former L successor…but as we all know, A is dead…" Near took his mind back a few weeks prior. He remembered the young blonde man, standing by the entrance to the gate. He was suspiciously familiar to the sketch of the young boy. "Or is he? After all…no body was found, no trace of the actual victim himself…I wonder."

Near began to piece the blank puzzle back together. He continued to do so for the next minute, leaving only one piece missing.

"Wouldn't it be interesting if A were still alive?"

* * *

_**Passing through to Tokyo, Axel's private Jet…**_

_Name: Benjiro Botan_

_Gender: Male_

_Occupation: None_

_Height: 1,79m_

_Weight: 50kg_

"Benjiro Botan?" Beyond asked with a raised eyebrow, dipping his hand into a small jar of strawberry jam and licking the contents off his fingers. Axel had stored it especially for him earlier that day, since he knew he'd be craving it sooner or later. There were still seven more jars in the airplane fridge.

"It's Japanese." Axel explained, though his mind was only half-conscious. The other half of his attention was slowly drifting off into an almost too tempting form of sleep. Unlike L, Axel got a lot of time off, which he usually spent sleeping or taking long rests. This had lead to him having a little side of human laziness. If he didn't get at least eight hours of sleep, his sharpness would decrease by perhaps ten percent…and in Axel's mind that was considered a lot. "If you're returning to Japan with me, you should keep a low profile. I had Watari send me a new identity for you to live under. It's all we can really do at this point."

"…Does L know?" Beyond asked, licking the jam off of his lips and staring out into the misted skies just beyond the circular window. Axel didn't feel as though a reply was necessary. Or perhaps he just couldn't be bothered to supply one at the time. Beyond glanced up above Axel's head for merely a moment. "…Why would you bring me to Japan?"

"About a month ago, criminals all around the globe started dying from inflicted heart attacks. We don't know how, but someone out there is murdering all of them, taking one life at a time. Not only can he cause heart attacks, but he can also control certain actions leading up to a heart attack, as this was demonstrated a few days ago. Basically…I want you to help L and I catch Kira." Beyond scanned Axel's eyes for any sign of hesitation, and when he saw none, he had questioned where his logic had come from.

"You want a murderer to help catch a murderer." Beyond chuckled in a low and almost imperceptible tone. "Years have driven you to insanity my friend…but I accept."

Axel raised an eyebrow, a smirk on his lips. "Oh? And why's that?"

"…It's been a while since I had a little fun. And who knows? This could get pretty interesting." Beyond said with a wide smile.

"We sure wouldn't want you missing out on the excitement now, would we?"

* * *

_**Forty-eight hours later…**_

_**December nineteenth**_

_**Japanese police HQ**_

"How is this possible? He's killing every hour by the hour!" Aizawa exclaimed.

"Well, it seems a whole lot less likely that Kira is a student." Soichiro stated, tapping his fingers against his desktop. "Considering the fact that these deaths are now scattered in a completely different scale."

"Well, not necessarily." Matsuda advocated, shifting his shoulders slightly. "I mean anyone can miss a couple days of school. Maybe Kira just decided to take a few days off to do some extra killings."

"You're all missing the point." A monotone voice from the back of the meeting hall stated half-heartedly. The entire team turned their heads to see Axel slumped over a desk, his head rested against the tabletop and a pencil between his lips. "You need to ask yourselves why Kira would chose to kill every hour, and why were all of the recent deaths centered within prisons."

"_I believe that Kira was actually trying to deliver some sort of message to us." _L contemplated thoughtfully through the monitor. _"Perhaps he's trying to say that not only can he control the events leading up to death, but he can also control the time of death as well."_

"My thoughts exactly, but I also have reason to believe that Kira has somehow managed to gain classified information through the Japanese Police." Axel stood from his chair, all eyes directed to him.

"Professor, with all due respect, you're not implying that Kira is someone in the Police Force, are you?" Soichiro questioned.

Axel shrugged. "It's a possibility. But I think I'd be correct in saying that Kira is most likely either someone within the Task Force, or someone related to them who would have access to their work information."

"How could you possibly come to an assumption like that?!" Ide exclaimed. His face was slightly red and flushed with hindrance. "Don't forget Professor, you too are part of the Task Force! How could you possibly accuse your own team of having anything to do with Kira?"

"_Actually, I believe Axel to be somewhere along the lines to a complete break through." _At that moment, the entire team was silenced as they all stared over at the computer monitor. _"Don't you find it a little strange that as soon as we began to suspect Kira was a student, a dramatic change within Kira's killings occurred? That's no coincidence. Kira knew of this, which means he was able to somehow gain classified information…how convenient."_

* * *

_**December twenty-third…**_

_**L's temporary Hotel suit…**_

"Kira needs a name and a face to kill. He's living within Japan. He is most likely a student. He can control actions before they die to some extent. He has access to Police information. That's it?" Beyond murmured, popping the lid off a new jar of jam.

L and Axel both sat before a pile of papers, scanning through the names and profiles of each and every police investigator who had access to classified information. The three of them all sat around a single coffee table. So far, the situation had been going relatively smoothly. "Yes, that's pretty much it. Also, on December fourteenth, L called twelve FBI agents into Japan to investigate the members of the Task Force." Axel yawned, covering his mouth with the back of his hand.

"How long has it been since you last slept?" L questioned, his dark eyes momentarily glancing over towards him.

"Doesn't matter." He protested, shaking his head in an attempt to wake his mind up. Beyond arched an eyebrow and flicked Axel on the back of the ear. The young professor flinched and jolted in slight shock. "Hey, what was that for?"

"You know what I think?" Beyond said as a smirk formed at the corner of his lip. "At some point, the Police will discover that we have been investigating them. And when that happens, it won't be too long until they're shortlisted to the small few that are true to this investigation…this will probably lead to them demanding to see L's true identity."

"And what do you propose we do about that?" Axel questioned, biting the tip of his pencil.

"…Well…obviously _you're_ not going to allow the real L to appear before the Task Force…so, I say…I will be L, and Lawliet will pose as Ryuzaki, L's second hand. This means that L can still work on the Kira investigation, and if anything happens to me, the true L will still be alive."

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that B." L stared him square on; his dark eyes seeming to contradict B's blood red ones. "Regardless of my safety, I simply cannot have you risking your life in the place if mine. It's hard enough having both of you on this team…if something where to happen to you whilst you were protecting me-"

"I'm not doing this for you, L!" Beyond hissed. He refused to look him in the eye. "Both you and Axel have the same amount of lifespan left, which means the day you die will be the day A dies, but If I die, and have you live a longer life, it means Axel will be able to live on as well, so just shut up and let me do what I have to do!" L stared blankly over at Beyond, unsure of what to do or what to say. So, he settled for ignoring him altogether.

* * *

_**December thirty-first…**_

_**Kira murdered twelve FBI agents sent to investigate within Japan four days prior…**_

_**Task Force HQ…**_

"I had a suspicion that L was investigating us, but I never thought our own Professor would be responsible for it." Matsuda frowned, taking a sip of his lukewarm coffee.

"We never should have trusted L in the first place." One of the officers exclaimed.

"At any rate…" Soichiro stood within the center of the meeting hall, gaining everyone's undivided attention. He took a deep breath in as he adjusted his silver wired glasses upon the bridge of his nose. "Kira is most likely going to kill anyone who tries to get in his way…from this moment on, I want you all to consider your own lives and families. If you want out of this investigation, you're free to leave."

"Chief Yagami is right." Axel stated. "Unless you are willing to die to catch one man, I suggest you leave now. If you even have to ponder leaving or staying, you might as well go."

It didn't take long for people to start filing out. Perhaps they'd been holding back in fear of losing their jobs, but in this case, none of that mattered anymore. But nevertheless, Axel was happy to see so many people leave. It meant just one less live to carry upon his shoulders. By the room was cleared, only five remained. Aizawa, Matsuda, Mogi, Ide and Ukita. Aside from them, Watari stood at the back of the practically empty hall, Chief Soichiro sat by his desk, and Axel stood before all of them.

"_Those of you who are still here have displayed great bravery and belief in what is soon to be justice. I trust all of you." _L said through the microphone upon Watari's computer.

"Hold on a second Chief." Aizawa jolted up from his seat, holding his hand up towards L's screen. "Why should we trust L? All he ever does is hide send us to do the dirty work! Whilst we're totally exposed with our names and faces on our IDs, L does nothing but watch from a distance!"

"…_Indeed, but this won't be a problem for much longer."_


End file.
